Computer system management as currently implemented relies heavily on such known management platforms as Hewlett-Packard Co.""s (xe2x80x9cHPxe2x80x9d) OpenView, IBM""s NetView, Sun Microsystem""s SunNet Manager, and others. These platforms are typically used with third party tools that perform the specific tasks required to manage particular devices, including Intel-based PC desktop computers and server systems, network devices such as hubs, bridges, and routers, and other similar equipment. Examples of these third party tools include HP""s NetServer Assistant for managing the NetServer line of computers and Interconnect Manager used for managing network devices such as routers. As a general rule, these tools are complex, expensive, and difficult to use without extensive training.
The Internet makes it possible to create applications that perform many of the functions now performed by management platforms and third party add-on tools in a much simpler manner. These applications will be easier to use by novices than known tools and will lower the overall cost of system management.
The embodiments of the present invention described herein require certain generic computer systems and components to function. There must be a set of computer systems or network devices that must be managed. A set of client systems are used to manage the sets of computer systems and/or network devices. In some cases, the managed system and the client system are the same system. At the manufacturer""s site, a system is located and used for warehousing and analyzing data from the managed systems. The manufacturer""s system is only needed for implementing such management features as analysis and verification of system information, transmission of advisory information back to users and system registration.
Any of the known web browsers such as Netscape Corp.""s Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Corp.""s Internet Explorer must be installed on all client systems used as management systems and at least one of the managed or client systems must have an Internet HTTP Server (Web Server) running on it. Finally, an implementation of one of the known technologies that make it possible to retrieve and/or alter configuration information is needed on the managed and client systems, including an implementation of any one of Simple Network Management Protocols (xe2x80x9cSNMPxe2x80x9d), DMTF/DMI, ISO/CMIP or other proprietary protocols.
With these required components, all of which are known, the system""s configuration can be viewed or changed over the Internet using an HTML document to list and display the managed systems, together with icons that represent the state of the managed systems. By using xe2x80x9cactive controlsxe2x80x9d or Java scripts, the state of the managed systems can be dynamically updated by changing the color of associated icons or the displayed text. Using embedded commands or identifiers within template documents, a program can be created to automatically acquire needed system information.
In another embodiment, an HTML CGI document containing desired system information and a reference link back to the system at the manufacturer""s selected site is created, allowing the manufacturer""s system to retrieve this system information automatically. The system information is then analyzed against a list of currently valid system configurations to detect potential problems. In turn, if potential problems are detected, the information is sent back to the managed system automatically.